Page 71 of Cooper’s Passion

“I don’t need to sit down.”

Cooper caught Anita’s look and knew instinctively what she wanted to tell her father.

“Dad, I recognized the serial killer suspect. I saw him once twenty-one years ago...”

Something in Diaz’s face changed. It was as if all blood drained from it, but he remained silent.

“I saw him the night Mom disappeared. I woke up. He was in our house. He took Mom. She didn’t want to go, but he threatened her… He said he’d take me instead, if she didn’t go with him…” Tears suddenly welled up in Anita’s eyes.

Cooper registered her last sentence with shock. Anita hadn’t mentioned this to him before. Her mother had sacrificed herself for her daughter to live. He could only imagine what that knowledge did to Anita, and why she’d kept it to herself until now. No wonder she wanted to take the killer down. This was even more personal than he’d known.

“You were only nine…” Diaz said, his voice shaky.

“He’s the same man… He took her. And he killed her. She protected me. She loved us, Dad, she loved us both.”

Cooper wanted to take Anita into his arms to console her, but this wasn’t his moment. This moment was for her and her father. Finally, Sheriff Diaz bridged the distance between himself and his daughter, and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you. I’m so sorry, honey. Please forgive me.”

Anita sobbed into her father’s chest.

Cooper motioned to Donnelly. “Let’s give them a minute.”

He and Donnelly left the room and remained in the ante office.

“No wonder she wants to play bait,” Donnelly said. “How are you gonna keep her safe?”

“I’m bringing in the big guns: Zane, Amaury, Luther, Mom and Dad, Orlando, maybe even Samson. This asshole won’t get away, I swear.”

“I hope you’re not gonna scare him away before he’s in the net.”

“You and me both.”

But Anita would be protected heavier than Fort Knox, because she was much more valuable than all the gold in the world. Anita was his, and he wouldn’t allow anybody to hurt her.